Chapter 7
I stared at the text.
Helen was in jail.
But she still had strings to pull.
I called Harold immediately.
“Is it true?” I said. “Do you have board members planning to vote no tomorrow?”
There was a long silence on the other end.
“Two,” he said, his voice tired. “Arthur’s old friends. They owe her. They say they’d rather sell the company to Voss than let a woman who put Helen in jail run it. We need every single vote to pass the acquisition. If those two vote no, we’re deadlocked. The deal falls through.”
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
Helen had spent 30 years collecting favors.
She wasn’t going to let a little thing like being arrested stop her from using them.
“Give me their names,” I said.
“Thomas Hale and Roger Ward,” he said. “They’re both in their 70s. Retired. Live in the same gated community. They don’t care about the company anymore. They care about loyalty to old friends. You’ll never change their minds.”
“Watch me,” I said.
I hung up.
Told Elias to take Lila and Claire back to the hotel.
I turned the car around.
Drove straight to the gated community.
Thomas Hale was first.
He opened the door when I knocked, a scowl on his face.
He was in his 70s, thin, wearing a cardigan, holding a glass of whiskey.
“I know who you are,” he said. “I’m not talking to you. Get off my property.”
He tried to close the door.
I put my foot in it.
“Arthur stole $2 million from Langford in 1996,” I said, fast. “He was going to be fired. He was going to go to prison. Helen paid off the auditors. She used her own family’s money to pay it back. She saved his career. Saved his reputation. That’s the favor he owes you, isn’t it? That’s why you’re voting no.”
Thomas froze.
His face went white.
“How do you know that?” he whispered.
“Claire gave me Arthur’s old diaries,” I said. “Every word is in there. You helped him cover it up. You were the head of the audit committee back then. You signed off on the fake numbers. If this comes out, you lose everything. Your pension. Your reputation. Your freedom. You’re 74 years old. You’ll die in prison.”
Thomas stepped back.
Let me in.
We sat in his living room for an hour.
I didn’t threaten him.
Not really.
I just told him the truth.
About Helen.
About Lila.
About Claire.
About what Helen had planned for Langford.
“Arthur was my friend,” he said, his voice shaking. “I owed him.”
“Arthur is dead,” I said. “Helen is using his memory to make you destroy a company he loved. Is that what he would have wanted? For 12,000 people to lose their jobs? For a little girl to be abused? You know what she is. You’ve always known. You just didn’t want to admit it.”
He sat there for a long time, staring at his whiskey.
Then he nodded.
“I’ll vote yes,” he said.
I left his house.
Went to Roger Ward’s place two streets over.
It took less time.
I showed him the same proof.
Told him the same truth.
He caved in 20 minutes.
By the time I drove back to the hotel, it was 10:00 PM.
I had all the votes.
The acquisition would pass.
Claire was in the living room, reading Lila a bedtime story when I walked in.
Lila ran to me, her arms wide.
I picked her up, kissing her.
“Tomorrow is a big day,” I said. “After tomorrow, everything is going to be different. We’re going to be safe. Forever.”
Lila nodded, her head on my shoulder.
“Can Aunt Claire live with us forever?” she said. “She’s my best friend.”
I looked over at Claire.
She was crying, smiling through her tears.
“Of course she can,” I said.
The next morning, I put on a dark blue suit.
The same one I’d worn to my first big business meeting 10 years prior.
Lila helped me tie my shoes.
Claire drove us to Langford headquarters.
The building was huge, glass and steel, towering over the city skyline.
Hundreds of employees were lined up outside the front doors.
They cheered when I got out of the car.
They’d seen the news.
They knew I was the one who was going to save their jobs.
I walked into the boardroom 10 minutes early.
The table was long, polished wood, 12 chairs around it.
All the board members were there.
Harold at the head.
Thomas and Roger on one side, their faces tight but determined.
The meeting started.
Harold called for the vote on the acquisition.
One by one, they said yes.
Unanimous.
12-0.
I was now the majority owner and CEO of Langford Group.
Harold stood, held out his hand.
“Welcome,” he said. “We’re lucky to have you.”
The room erupted in applause.
I shook every hand.
Thanked every person.
I walked out of the boardroom an hour later, the signed acquisition papers in my hand.
I’d done it.
I’d won.
I was walking to the elevator when the stairwell door next to me burst open.
Helen stood there.
She’d made bail.
Her hair was messy, her clothes wrinkled, her eyes wild.
She was holding a kitchen knife in her hand.
The security guards behind her were yelling, running to catch up.
May you like
She lunged at me, the knife raised over her head.
“If I can’t have it,” she screamed, spittle flying from her mouth. “Neither can you!”
